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Tag: CVR

  • Voter’s card: All you need to know about INEC’s online CVR registration

    Voter’s card: All you need to know about INEC’s online CVR registration

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently announced online registration for voter’s card and subsequently released criteria for registrants who want to participate in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had said the online portal for CVR registration was introduced in response to public demand for better service and repeated calls by stakeholders.

    Recall INEC had announced that the CVR exercise will resume on Monday 28th June, and to ensure a successful rollout, the Commission says it has acquired all the required equipment and updated its registration software.

    “A total of 5,346 staff will be deployed to the 2,673 designated centres. The CVR, which was suspended on 31st August 2018 because of preparations for the 2019 General Elections, will continue till August 2022,” the Commission stated.

    The commission also stated that only Nigerians, 18 years and above and who had never registered are qualified to do so.

    “However, the exercise is also open to registered voters who: have had any problem during accreditation for any past election with either their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) or their fingerprints not being read by the Smart Card Reader (SCR); want to transfer their voting location from one place to another; want to correct issues with their data, such as misspelt names or dates of birth; and registered voters whose PVCs are lost or damaged,” INEC added.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who made the announcement at a press conference held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, also revealed that a new registration machine called the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) will be used.

    TNG reports the device, a tablet computer, will replace the laptop based old Direct Data Capture Machine (DDCM), which was used for the last CVR.

    Prof. Yakubu said the device was designed by INEC Engineers in-house but fabricated abroad.

    “It is more efficient than the DDCM and could also be deployed for other activities, particularly the accreditation of voters during elections, “he affirmed.

    In response to public demand for better service and repeated calls by stakeholders, Prof. Yakubu said the Commission would for the CVR, introduce a dedicated portal for online registration.

    According to him, the idea is for intending registrants to commence the registration process online by filling the forms, uploading their pictures and required documents and making an appointment on the web portal for a date and time to visit an INEC State or Local Government office to give their fingerprints and complete the registration.

    Besides, the INEC Chairman said registered voters can also carry out all other activities such as transfers, correction of personal details and replacement of damaged or defaced Permanent Voters’ Cards. (PVCs) online.

    His words: “We hope that through this portal, we shall reduce overcrowding at our registration centres, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, make the registration processes generally easier, thereby giving Nigerians a pleasant electoral experience.

    “The portal will go live in the early hours of Monday 28th June 2021. However, I must quickly reiterate that the online registration is a public service and therefore free of charge. There is no INEC-approved cybercafe, no online registration centre and no scratch card to be purchased for the exercise.

    “All you need is a device, including your mobile phones, that can connect to the internet. Citizens can complete the online pre-registration anywhere and at anytime they choose. Just follow the simple but detailed step-by-step procedure on the portal and contact the INEC Help Desk where necessary. The details are on our website.”

    Prof Yakubu also allayed the fears being expressed by some Nigerians that many citizens may be disenfranchised by the new digital arrangement.

    He said the Commission was aware that not all Nigerians have computers, smart phones, access to the internet or reside in urban and sub-urban areas.

    He also acknowledged that some citizens might have one form of disability or another that could make it impossible for them to register online.

    He said: “The Commission is also aware of its responsibility under the law to provide every eligible Nigerian the opportunity to register, irrespective of where they live or other circumstances of life.

    “I wish to assure you that in addition to the online registration portal, there will be some 2,673 centres where citizens can register physically nationwide.

    “Furthermore, the exercise will be carried out continuously over a period of at least one year thereby providing enough time for the Commission to reach all the nooks and crannies of the country. No eligible Nigerian will be disenfranchised.”

    Prof Yakubu said the Commission was deeply concerned over the recent attacks on its offices across the country.

    He said: “In most cases, these offices have been burnt or vandalized. Clearly, the aim of the attackers was to undermine the Commission’s capacity to organize elections and other electoral activities, including the CVR.

    “Luckily, only buildings, equipment and materials have been destroyed. Although the attacks have subsided, the Commission is still deeply worried by the threat that they could pose to registrants and our staff during the CVR.”

    He said that from the various consultations with stakeholders, a consensus was reached that the Commission must place a high premium on securing the lives of registrants, staff members and the protection of the expensive registration equipment to be deployed for the exercise.

    He continued: “Consequently, they advised that the Commission should adopt a graduated approach to the CVR exercise by starting online.

    “After appraising the situation, the exercise can then proceed physically at State and LGA offices before finally deploying to all the 2,673 centres nationwide.

    “Based on this advice, the Commission decided to adopt a roll-out and roll-back approach to the exercise such that the registration centres will not only be accessible but safe and secure.

    “After a careful consideration of the suggestions, the Commission decided to modify the CVR schedule (see table below).

    S/No. Activity Date Location
    i. Commencement of online registration only 28th June 2021 Online through the INEC registration portal (https://cvr.inecnigeria.orgor https://cvr.inec.gov.ng )
    ii. Commencement of scheduled appointments for online registrants 19th July 2021 INEC State and Local Government offices nationwide
    iii. Commencement of physical CVR 19th July 2021 INEC State and Local Government offices nationwide
    iv. Commencement of physical CVR at all other Registration Centres Date to be determined based on evaluation of security situation All 2, 673 Registration Centres nationwide

    Giving the background of the CVR, the INEC Chairman noted that a good register of voters “is a precursor to a good election.”

    He said the registration of voters was a major function of the Commission under the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    He explained further: “In exercising its powers under the law, the Commission undertook a fresh registration of eligible voters with every General Election until 2011 when the first reliable biometric register of voters was compiled.

    “Thereafter, the Commission embarked on intermittent registration of voters on the eve of major elections.

    “However, in April 2017, this Commission for the first time began the implementation of registration of voters on a continuous basis as provided in the Electoral Act.

    “As a result, 14,283,734 new voters were added to the register by the time the process was suspended in August 2018 in order to prepare for the 2019 General Election.”

  • INEC says attacks on facilities may affect future polls

    INEC says attacks on facilities may affect future polls

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says recent attacks on its facilities, if remained unchecked, may affect future polls.

    The commission expressed concern, particularly with the ongoing conversion of voting points to polling units, voter registration and the conduct of future elections.

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, while confirming fire attack on the commission’s office in Akwa Ibom.

    Okoye said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, reported that INEC office in Essien Udim Local Government Area was set ablaze at the early hours of Sunday morning.

    He said that the security guard on duty escaped unhurt but the destruction to the building and properties therein was extensive.

    “Items destroyed include 345 ballot boxes, 135 voting cubicles, megaphones, water tanks and office furniture.

    “The police, which have also been battling with attacks on its facilities and personnel in the area, are aware of the incident and have commenced investigation,” Okoye said.

    The national commissioner recalled that on the eve of the 2019 General Election, INEC newly constructed prototype LGA office in Ibesikpo Asutan was burnt down while two more offices in Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo LGAs were bombed.

    “The recent attack on our facility after we have just concluded the inventory of electoral materials nationwide in readiness for the 2023 General Election is worrisome.

    “If unchecked, these attacks may constitute a setback on the Commission’s preparations, including the ongoing conversion of Voting Points to Polling Units, the forthcoming Continuous Registration of Voters (CRV) and the conduct of polls,” he said.

    He said that, nevertheless, the Commission wished to assure Nigerians that it would leave no stone unturned to recover from the incident in Akwa Ibom as it continued to prepare for all electoral activities.

  • Voter registration: INEC announces vacancy for enrolment staff

    Voter registration: INEC announces vacancy for enrolment staff

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced vacancy for voter enrolment staff for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the INEC has also announced a date to begin recruitment and training of the voter enrolment staff.

    INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made this known on Thursday at INEC’s Conference Hall Headquarters, Abuja during a press conference on recommencement of CVR exercise nationwide.

    According to the INEC Chairman, recruitment and training of the voter enrolment staff will commence on 14th June 2021.

    He further stated that effective from Monday 28th June 2021, the CVR exercise will commence nationwide and carried out continuously for over a year until the third quarter of 2022.

  • BREAKING: INEC announces new technology for voter registration exercise

    BREAKING: INEC announces new technology for voter registration exercise

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has acquired a new technology which it will introduce for the recommencement of continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise across the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this known on Thursday during a press conference at INEC’s Conference Hall Headquarters, Abuja.

    He stated that the new technology is Android based and that the commission had been in a process of migrating to the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) from the old Direct Data Capture Machine (DDCM) that had been in use for about 10 years.

    The INEC Chairman also revealed that in order to reduce crowding at registration centres, the Commission has built a new online registration portal that would enable new registrants to commence registration online and subsequently complete the capture of their biometric data at designated registration centres.

    He stated that previously registered voters who wished to transfer their voting locations, apply for replacement of their PVCs or correct their personal information had to appear physically at the registration centres.

    Prof Yakubu, at the press conference, stated that all these were part of three cardinal reasons why the CVR exercise could not start earlier.

    The first, he said was the establishment of new systems that would ensure safer CVR exercise in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “In this regard, the Commission is building a new online registration portal that would enable new registrants to commence registration online and subsequently complete the capture of their biometric data at designated registration centres. This is designed to reduce crowding. Through the online portal, they can schedule their visits to the registration centres to suit their convenience.

    “Above all, a CVR Locator is integrated into the new portal which will enable online registrants to locate the nearest registration centre available to them to complete their registration.

    “Previously, registered voters who wished to transfer their voting locations, apply for replacement of their PVCs or correct their personal information had to appear physically at the registration centres.

    “The development of this portal, which is being done in-house by our engineers, has taken a little more time to complete than the Commission anticipated.

    “The second reason is the Commission’s determination to expand voter access to Polling Units.

    “You would all recall that recently the Commission embarked on a nationwide engagement with Nigerians in which we raised the fundamental issue of declining voter access to Polling Units across the country.

    “The engagement clearly demonstrated that the existing Polling Units are inadequate. They were initially designed to cater for a projected 50 million voters but presently serve over 84 million voters.

    “In addition, many of the Polling Units are inaccessible to voters, especially Persons With Disability (PWDs), and are not conducive to implementing the Commission’s election regulations, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “We are glad that most Nigerians agree with the Commission on this issue, and we have commenced a far-reaching programme of converting Voting Points and Voting Point Settlements into fullfledged Polling Units and relocating poorly situated Polling Units to better locations.

    “The Commission needs more time to complete this exercise, so that the new Polling Units will be available for registrants to choose during the CVR exercise.

    “Thirdly, the Commission has decided to introduce a new voter registration equipment and technology.

    “The present generation of voter registration equipment, which the Commission introduced in 2011, is the Direct Data Capture Machine (DDCM). This is based on a laptop and a series of peripherals connected to it. In addition, it includes large powerpacks to power the laptops in the field.

    “While the DDCMs have served the Commission well over the last 10 years, we believe that there are now more compact registration devices that will better serve Nigerians during the CVR exercise.

    “The Commission is therefore migrating to the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED), which is based on an Android tablet.

    “The procurement of the new devices, the modification of the registration software by our in-house engineers to make it compatible with the Android Operating System, as well as integrating these with the online registration portal require a little more time.

    “For instance, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our partners abroad who manufacture the IVED hardware, are not operating at full capacity and the pandemic has also made the supply chain and delivery much slower,” Prof Yakubu said.

  • BREAKING: INEC announces date for Continuous Voter Registration nationwide

    BREAKING: INEC announces date for Continuous Voter Registration nationwide

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced date for the recommencement of continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise nationwide.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu announced the date at a press conference on Thursday.

    The event took place at INEC’s Conference Hall Headquarters in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT).

    He stated that the Commission is now in a position to embark on recommencement of the CVR exercise on Monday 28th June 2021.

  • Male surpasses female in new INEC CVR report

    In preparations to the 2019 General Elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday released data of its continuous voters registration (CVR) exercise.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports a gender analysis of the data shows that 7,386,583 females and 6,247,831 males have been registered so far, resulting in a total of 13,634,414 new registrants.

    INEC CVR gender analysis

    According to the INEC new registration statistics, while a total of 854,362 Nigerians have recently collected their permanent voters cards (PVCs), 696,643 made transfer requests and 1,067,406 made replacement requests.

    INEC CVR report

    TNG reports the ongoing CVR exercise across the country commenced on 27th April 2017, the Commission opening permanent registration centres in all its 774 Local Government offices and 672 other centres

    “This was to ensure that all-year round, Nigerians who turn 18 years and who had not registered previously have an opportunity to register,” INEC stated.

    In order to have enough time to clean up the provisional register and print the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in good time for the general elections the Commission, after consultation with stakeholders, decided to suspend the exercise with effect from 17th August 2018, to resume after the elections.

    However, many Nigerians appealed to the Commission to extend the exercise. Consequently, the Commission decided to extend the CVR to 31st August 2018.

    The exercise continues in all the designated registration centres every day, including weekends, but excluding public holidays, between 9am and 5pm.

    INEC said that “the CVR figures released included Anambra 2017, Ekiti and Osun state RA level CVR. The 2016 EVR is the 2015 EVR figures plus figures from RA level CVR in Ondo, Bayelsa, Kogi, Edo and FCT”.

    Registered voters as at August 29, 2018
    Registered voters as at August 29, 2018

     

  • Voters registration: Delta State declares public holiday

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has declared Thursday 16 and Friday 17 August 2018 public holiday to ensure public servants in the state participate fully in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports this was disclosed in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Festus Agas.

    According to the statement, the declaration is informed by the fact that the ongoing voters registration exercise will terminate Friday 17th August 2018.

    “It is expected that public officers who have not registered before now will take advantage of the work free days to do so and ensure that they are not disenfranchised.

    “Similarly, officers that are yet to collect their permanent voters card should take advantage of the period to do so and conclude the important aspect of our political process,” the statement read.

     

  • CSOs urge eligible voters in Anambra to register with INEC

    Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on eligible voters in Anambra to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the end of the current phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    The groups made the call in Awka during a one-day sensitisation workshop on Electoral Participation for youths on Sunday.

    Mrs Chioma Okeke, Coordinator, Shoulder for Gender Support and Development Initiative, decried the level of political apathy in Anambra and the South-East.

    Okeke called on the participants, mostly youths, to avail themselves with the window provided by the ongoing CVR and register.

    She said some of the identified challenges in registration of voters in Anambra include: absence of INEC registration officials at advertised venues, alleged extortion of those wishing to register by officials and non collection of Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs)

    “INEC has to do more to cover eligible voters in the ongoing registration process, while in some places, efforts are made to register people even up to going to their houses, here people go to designated places and the officials are not there,” she said.

    On his part, Mr Chukwuma Chukwura, Coordinator of Kingsfaith Development and Youth Empowerment Initiative, expressed concern that people could not take time off their daily routine to register or collect their PVCs at INEC office.

    He said the number of eligible voters said to have registered in Anambra was a far cry from the population of voters in the state.

    “It is a serious source of worry for us how our youths behave when it comes to politics.

    “They are very active on social media , posting all sort of things about Nigeria and some individuals but in practice, they are not doing anything; common registering to vote, they will not, for those that manage to register, go and get your PVC, no way.

    “Worse still, on the day of election you see them playing football and drinking at joints because they feel it is not their business, that is why very small per cent of them voted in the last governorship election in Anambra.

    “What we are saying is that INEC, the political class and communities should encourage those who have not registered to do so before the time is up,” he said.

    Addressing the participants, Mr Leo Nkedife, Head, Public Relations Department of INEC in Anambra , corroborated the CSOs’ observation that the turnout of people in the state for the CVR was poor.

    Nkedife urged the people to take advantage of the exercise to register, saying that registration was free.

    He urged the people to report any of the commission’s official(s) who demanded money before registering them.

    Nkedife disclosed that only 22 per cent of the 2.15 million voters in Anambra participated in the Nov. 18, 2107 governorship election, and that over 142,000 PVCs were still awaiting collection at the INEC office in the state.

    He said INEC had greatly improved in the conduct of elections as people’s votes now count.

    Prof Collins Okafor of the Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, blamed the political apathy among the people on lack of confidence in the Nigerian electoral process.

    Okafor said apathy include; refusal to register, refusal to belong to a political party, refusal to vote and refusal to protest against rigging and other electoral malpractice.

    He said those who did not participate in politics contributed more to the political and economic crisis in the country.

     

  • Bayelsa Govt to sensitise citizenry over uncollected PVCs

    The Bayelsa Government has pledged to mobilise its citizenry to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to enable them to fully participate in the 2019 general elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that no fewer than 28, 590 PVCs were yet to be collected by their owners while more than 65,000 new voters had been captured in the state during the recent registration exercise.

    Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Commissioner for Information in the state made the pledge on Sunday while in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at Opume in Ogbia Local Government Area.

    He said that the state government would mobilise the citizenry in realisation that the people were at the centre of political activities and should be encouraged to participate in the electoral process.

    “The government of Gov. Seriake Dickson realises that politics is about numbers and given the renewed confidence that we have in INEC that our votes do count, we are relying on the people and hence mobilising them to participate in elections.

    “Since we abhor politics of violence in elections, our strategy is to increase the participation of the people.

    “In Ogbia, we used to record the second largest votes but we have dropped to the fifth, due to apathy.

    “So we are looking forward to closing that gap in future elections,” he said.

    Iworiso-Markson who monitored the just concluded Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the area expressed satisfaction at the turn out and further appealed to INEC to extend the exercise to capture all eligible voters.

    He said that after the three weeks period of the CVR, prospective voters were still turning up for the exercise which ended on Friday.

    “The people of Opume kingdom have shown so much enthusiasm in responding to the call to participate in their civic responsibility to participate in the electoral process.

    “They keep coming out and even on the final day of the exercise some people are yet to be captured and we are hoping that INEC officers will report to the leadership for possible extension,” the commissioner said.

     

  • CVR: INEC registers 125,198 new voters in Enugu

    No fewer than 125,198 eligible voters have registered for the first and second quarters in the Continuous Voters Registration in Enugu State.

    The state Independent National Electoral Commissioner, Mr Emeka Ononamadu, said on Saturday that 56,562 eligible persons registered in the second quarter of the CVR that ended on Sept. 19 in the state.

    He also said 68,672 registered in the first quarter, leading to a difference of 12,110 in between the two quarters.

    The commissioner said that the commission opened eight additional centres during the second quarter, especially in difficult terrains, to reach communities that were far from their local council headquarters.

    Ononamadu said the downward trend in the second quarter called for intensive awareness by Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders to reverse it.

    He announced that the third quarter registration would begin on Oct. 30 and would run for three months.

    “INEC cannot do it alone; we depend on critical stakeholders and the people to make elections very successful,’’ he said.

    NAN